Imanol Machuca

Imanol Machuca
Machuca with Fortaleza in 2024
Personal information
Full name Imanol Javier Machuca[1]
Date of birth (2000-01-15) 15 January 2000
Place of birth Roldán, Argentina
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger[2]
Team information
Current team
 Vélez Sarsfield (on loan from Fortaleza)
Number 39
Youth career
San Lorenzo (R)
El Porvenir del Norte
Sportivo Matienzo
Talleres
2018–2020 Unión Santa Fe
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2023 Unión Santa Fe 77 (9)
2023– Fortaleza 47 (5)
2025– → Vélez Sarsfield (loan) 12 (0)
International career‡
2025– Malaysia 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 July 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 June 2025

Imanol Javier Machuca (born 15 January 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sarsfield, on loan from Fortaleza. Born in Argentina, he represents Malaysia at international level.

Career

Early career

Machuca started his career in Roldán with San Lorenzo.[3] Spells soon followed with El Porvenir del Norte and Sportivo Matienzo, which preceded him joining the system of Talleres.[3]

Unión Santa Fé

In 2018, after a trial with Vélez Sarsfield, Machuca completed a move to Unión Santa Fe.[4] After two years in the reserves, he was promoted into the first-team squad in October 2020 under manager Juan Manuel Azconzábal; penning pro terms on 28 October.[5][6][7]

Machuca made his senior debut on 29 October during a Copa Sudamericana second stage first leg home defeat to Emelec, as he replaced Juan Manuel García with two minutes left.[8]

Fortaleza

On 29 July 2023, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Fortaleza announced the signing of Machuca on a four-year deal, having acquired 50% of the player's economic rights[9] for a reported fee of $2.5 million.[10]

Machuca arrived at Leão do Pici in 2023, when he played just 22 games, scoring two goals. In the 2024 season, the striker played 43 games, scoring four goals and providing five assists.[11]

Vélez Sarsfield

On 13 January 2025, Machuca joined Argentine Primera División side Vélez Sarsfield on loan until the end of the year, with an option to buy.[12]

International career

Born in Argentina, Machuca is of Malaysian descent.[13] He was called up to the Malaysia national team for a set of friendlies in June 2025.[14]

Machuca made his international debut on 10 June 2025 in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Vietnam at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, coming on as a second-half substitute for fellow debutant Rodrigo Holgado.[15]

Personal life

Machuca is of Malaysian descent through his mother, who is from Sabah, Malaysia.[16]

Career statistics

As of 3 September 2021.[8][17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental State League Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Unión Santa Fe 2019–20 Primera División — — 0 0 — — 0 0
2020–21[nb 1] 1 0 — — 1[a] 0 — 2 0
2021 21 2 — — — — 21 2
2022 33 3 2 0 — 8[a] 0 — 43 3
2023 22 4 1 1 — — — 23 5
Total 77 9 3 1 0 0 9 0 0 0 81 10
Fortaleza 2023 Série A 16 2 — — 8[a] 1 0 0 24 3
2024 Série A 15 1 4 0 — 6[a] 0 16 0 41 2
Total 31 3 4 0 0 0 14 1 16 0 65 4
Vélez Sarsfield 2025 Primera División 8 0 2 0 — 1[b] 0 0 0 11 0
Career total 116 12 9 1 0 0 24 1 16 0 165 14
  1. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in the Copa Sudamericana.
  2. ^ Appearance(s) in the Libertadores.

Honours

Fortaleza

Velez

Notes

  1. ^ Soccerway counts Copa de la Liga Profesional appearances as league appearances.

References

  1. ^ "boletin jugadores 11-2018.pdf" (PDF). AFA. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Imanol Machuca: el sueño de jugar en Primera". Fibranet. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Quién es el próximo futbolista roldanense que podría debutar en Primera División". El Roldanense. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Imanol Machuca fue fichado por Unión de Santa Fe y se suma al plantel de Reserva". El Roldanense. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Reserva: Jugada "Maradoniana" de Machuca en Unión". SOL 91.5. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Unión firmó contrato con cuatro jóvenes valores de inferiores". Santa Fe Deportivo. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  7. ^ "El roldanense Imanol Machuca firmó su primer contrato como jugador profesional". El Roldanense. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Argentina – I. Machuca". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Dia #1: Imanol Machuca chega ao Fortaleza e faz primeiro treino com o elenco" [Day #1: Imanol Machuca arrives at Fortaleza and undergoes first training with the squad]. Fortaleza Esporte Clube (in Brazilian Portuguese). 29 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Fortaleza anuncia atacante argentino Imanol Machuca" [Fortaleza announces Argentinian forward Imanol Machuca]. Globo Esporte (in Brazilian Portuguese). 28 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  11. ^ https://ge.globo.com/pe/futebol/noticia/2024/12/26/resumo-da-central-palmeiras-quer-destaque-do-cruzeiro-gremio-de-olho-sueco-e-adeus-a-gatito.ghtml
  12. ^ "Bienvenido Imanol / Vélez Sarsfield". C. A. Vélez Sarsfield (in Spanish). 13 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  13. ^ Taharumalengam, Avineshwaran a/l (5 June 2025). "Big lift for our boys". The Star.
  14. ^ "New heritage blood ready to fire up Harimau Malaya [WATCH] | New Straits Times". NST Online. 4 June 2025.
  15. ^ https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2025-06-10/malaysia-vs-vietnam/3587614/
  16. ^ Timesport (4 June 2025). "New heritage blood ready to fire up Harimau Malaya". New Straits Times. It is an honour to represent Malaysia. I feel that it is something special. I will give everything I have
  17. ^ "Ficha Estadistica de IMANOL MACHUCA". BDFA. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
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